Each year thousands of motorists and passengers are killed or catastrophically injured by the negligent operation of trucks, tractor trailers, eighteen-wheelers and semi-trucks. Truck drivers and the companies for whom they work have a duty to operate their trucks in a safe and responsible manner. When they fail to do so, they should be held responsible. Unsafe driving, oversized loads and various other unsafe practices put the public in danger. Our firm represents clients throughout Georgia and South Carolina, who have suffered personal injuries or property damage, or have lost a loved one, due to a trucking accident.

Large trucks - trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds - represent only 3% of all registered vehicles on the road in the U.S., yet they account for over 25% of the deaths in multiple vehicle traffic accidents. 98% of those killed or injured in trucking accidents will not be truck drivers. Here are some alarming statistics:

* Every 16 minutes of every day, another person in the United States will be injured or killed in a truck-related accident.

* Over 450,000 large trucks were involved in crashes last year

* Over 1,000,000 people were involved in the crashes

* Over 5,000 people were killed

* Over 140,000 were injured

* One-third of those injured suffered catastrophic damage

There are many causes of trucking accidents. Among them are speeding, tailgating, dangerous lane changes, illegally long work-shifts, driver fatigue, boredom and cell phone use. While reckless driving, improper driving and mechanical failures account for many crashes, the overwhelming cause is driver fatigue. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that driver fatigue is responsible for 30% to 40% of all large truck crashes. Motorists should be aware of the dangers associated with sharing our roads with trucks, tractor trailers, eighteen-wheelers and semi-trucks.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident, contact us online or call us toll free at 1-800-320-2384 to set up a FREE consultation.